


A Wish for Sevenmas

by elizadunc (Ladybugbear2)



Category: Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: 8 years after highschool, Brienne doesn’t need no man but if Jaime is offering, Cersei being manipulative, F/M, Hallmark rip-off, Jaime being dumb, Joffrey doesn’t exist, Modern AU, No Twincest, Sevenmas, Tommen and Myrcella are Robert’s, Tommen and Myrcella are twins
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-22
Updated: 2019-12-22
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:28:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,828
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21898189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ladybugbear2/pseuds/elizadunc
Summary: Jaime said the wrong thing to Brienne 8 years ago half way through their senior year of high school and she left as soon as she could.But she’s back in town for Sevenmas and there are wishes in the air.
Relationships: Jaime Lannister/Brienne of Tarth
Comments: 4
Kudos: 81
Collections: Oathkeepers Secret Santa 2019





	A Wish for Sevenmas

**Author's Note:**

  * For [starshia](https://archiveofourown.org/users/starshia/gifts).



> This is a gift for the lovely Larissa! Merry Christmas!
> 
> Beta’d by Thunderhawk 💜

It had been eight years since she’d left Lannisport and her father’s house. She'd left school a semester early due to what could only be described - and had been, by Sansa - as heartbreak of the highest order.

But now she was back. 

She was back and she was going to spend Sevenmas with her father and she wasn’t going to be cowed by the fact that it was impossible to go anywhere in town without being reminded of the fact that the Lannister family owned the whole of it. 

It was fine, though. 

Jaime Lannister was a part of her past and he’d probably forgotten about her in the intervening eight years anyway. 

This was her mantra as she boarded the plane. And as she got into her dad’s faithful old truck. And as her dad started the long drive from the airport into the town that they’d moved to on her ninth name-day.

And it was the same. Nothing at all had changed. 

The town center still had that old clock above the library that had been broken since she could remember. (She and Jaime had tried to climb to the top to see what was wrong, but Jaime hadn’t liked how high it was so they’d gone to the park instead). 

And there were still signs around the gazebo warning of retribution should spray paint get anywhere near it. (She and Jaime had sprayed Oathkeeper on the ceiling one night after Jaime had gotten yelled at by his father). 

And there was still the playground with the monkey bars and the slide and the two sad swings. (Jaime had dared her when they were ten to do the monkey bars with her eyes closed. She’d fallen and broken her wrist and he’d been so upset that he’d fallen and broken his too). 

By the time they made it to the house, Brienne was ready to turn around and head back to Winterfell at the onslaught of memories. 

It was bad enough that she’d spent the last eight years trying her best to put her past behind her. She’d done a full four years for her bachelors degree at Winterfell University and then went on to get her masters and start toward getting her doctorate. She’d gained a friend in Sansa, the daughter of one of her elementary school teachers. She’d even attempted dating with Hyle Hunt. It had ended horribly but she’d tried.

But now all that hard work had all been ruined with one trip through town. 

But it was fine, and thankfully she was able to avoid the center of town completely for the first few days. She spent time with her dad at his shop down one of the side streets, she walked the dog that he’d gotten shortly after she left, she read, she texted Sansa. She texted Sansa quite a lot actually. 

But then, for the first time in her memory, they ran out of coffee. Her dad was already at his shop, and the walk to the grocery was a bit further than she felt like going at eight in the morning. So she walked down to the center of town, to the coffee shop she’d noticed on the drive in. Though she hadn’t absorbed what the name was.

It was called Goldenhand and was apparently done up in the style of the Age of Magic. She felt like she’d walked into one of her fondest dreams just walking through the door. Well, one of her and Jaime’s dreams together. Their favorite for when they’d both been trying to get away from the pressure of bullies or family.

They had planned on running away and starting a coffee shop in Winterfell. It would be based on all of their favorite stories, all about the Age of Magic, the Maid of Tarth, and Goldenhand the Just, and their many adventures around Westeros. They'd planned to serve drinks named after great houses or dragons or swords. Jaime had even drawn up a logo for them to put on the cups, bearing the ancient coat of arms of both Lannister and Tarth, because they would be equally important. 

Stepping into this coffee shop in the middle of Lannisport made it obvious that Jaime had made all of their fondest dreams a reality. Though, she was hopeful that he just owned the place, the same way his father owned the rest of the town, and didn’t actually take part in the daily running of it. 

But there he was, in the corner of the shop, looking just as golden and beautiful as he always had growing up. He’d filled into his height and his hair fell in curls almost down to his shoulders. She might have continued in anyway but then he straightened up and met her eyes, she did her best to smile before glancing down at the customers he was serving. They were two small children, with dark hair and blue eyes but with the unmistakable Lannister face shape. They could only be his.

____________________________________________________________________________

Jaime was just about done with his sister. It was Tuesday and she’d already asked him to take the twins for the rest of the week. It wasn’t that she was a bad mom, but she didn’t always know what to do with them when they were on break from school. 

He was just lucky that he was the owner of Goldenhand and could set them up in the corner with some coloring books. They were quite well behaved for five year olds. 

He had just made sure Tommen had his kitten coloring book when he heard the bell on the door go. He straightened up to go help the customer, only to see the one person who he’d missed more than he’d ever known he could miss someone. 

Brienne Tarth. 

Gods she looked exactly as he remembered. Same shock of white blonde hair, though this looked like it had been cut in a salon instead of by Brienne herself. Same astonishing blue eyes. How had he forgotten how blue her eyes were? 

She was staring at him in shock and then he saw her glance at the twins and turn abruptly back toward the door. 

“Brienne!” he was just able to catch the door as it was closing, but she was gone. 

He let the door slam and walked into the back and through to the walk in fridge so he could yell his frustration. 

He hadn’t seen his best friend in eight years because of his fuck up and she’d taken one look at him and fled immediately. 

It had taken a lot of convincing on his part for Selwyn to even try to get her back to Lannisport. Now he’d messed up already and he probably wouldn’t see her for another eight years. Gods, if only he’d kept his mouth shut all those years ago. 

Her leaving had been all his fault. She’d come to him after a conversation with Cersei, and asked him if it was true that the only reason he was friends with her was because Mrs. Stark had made him when they were in elementary school. And, like the utter buffoon he was, he’d said yes. 

She’d stormed out before he could explain that, yes, he’d only been her friend at first because Mrs. Stark had wanted to kill two birds with one stone. He had needed help with his reading and Brienne, who was already the tallest kid in the classroom at nine, on top of being new, had needed a friend. 

But then they’d had everything in common. And he’d never wanted another friend for the rest of their school years. 

He had asked Cersei, after the fact, what she’d said to Brienne to make her so upset. But she’d just shrugged and said that Brienne had already been upset when they’d talked. 

He’d assumed that she’d be mad for a couple of days and then they could talk it out and everything would go back to normal. 

But the next thing he knew he was being told that Brienne had graduated early and gone to Winterfell without him and that no, he couldn’t have her address. 

He’d gone more than a little off the rails at that. How was he supposed to cope when the one person who he’d seen nearly every day for almost a decade, the one person who believed in him above all others, the one person who believed that his dyslexia didn’t make him stupid, was suddenly out of his life and refusing to speak to him? 

He’d refused to go to college if it wasn’t with Brienne and instead decided to open Goldenhand with what he had in the trust fund left to him by his mother. It had been enough to get started, and since he’d stayed in Lannisport where everyone knew him, it didn’t take long for the business to take off. 

It had taken a bit of time but eventually he’d convinced Selwyn that he hadn’t run Brienne off on purpose and that he’d do anything to get his best friend back in his life. 

But now Brienne was back and she wouldn’t even stay in the same room as him. 

He needed to get the twins back to Cersei, he didn’t care that she’d wanted him to take them for the week. This was far more important. Maybe he could track Brienne down and explain everything. 

The drive to the Baratheon residence felt like it took ages and by the time he got there he was basically vibrating with pent up energy. 

He hurried the twins into the house and to their mother and was about to turn to leave when Tommen ruined that. 

“Uncle Jaime, who was that lady that came in the coffee shop? The really tall one?” Cersei quirked an eyebrow. 

“No one important, Tommen, don’t worry about it. But I have to go now.” 

“No no, that’s a very good question Tommen. Who was this really tall lady, Jaime?” She walked slowly over to the front door where Jaime had just about been able to escape out of. 

“Brienne is back in town for Sevenmas, I’m going to find her.” Cersei’s eyebrow, if possible, went higher. 

“Brienne Tarth came back to Lannisport? How brave of her. I thought I’d finally made her see the light about your relationship.” Jaime felt like he’d been hit by a truck. 

“What? What did you say?” He took a step toward his sister. 

“Nothing much, I just told her the truth. She was going to keep you from your destiny of going to Casterly Rock University and she was in love with you Jaime. I couldn’t very well let that continue. Of course you ruined it anyway by refusing to go to college and opening that shop.” 

Jaime couldn't listen to his sister anymore. She’d deliberately ruined his life because Brienne had had the audacity to love him. Gods. 

He needed to find Brienne. 

____________________________________________

After stopping at her dad’s house to grab a warmer coat and a pair of gloves, Brienne went to the one place in town that the Jaime she’d known all those years ago wouldn’t step foot in: the clock tower above the library. 

Climbing it now she realized that, while it wasn’t ridiculously high, it really must have seemed gigantic to tiny Jaime. They had both just turned ten when the mystery of the broken clock had become too much to ignore. And even though they were both the tallest in their class, they’d still only been ten. 

Since that day they’d vowed never to try to break the curse of the broken clock ever again. (Mostly because Jaime was too chicken to ever want to try again.)

So, 18 year old Jaime wouldn’t have made the climb. But she had no idea what 26 year old Jaime would do. 26 year old Brienne was quite content being a coward and hiding from the one person she really couldn’t face. 

The New Year’s Eve party had been a bad idea from the start. She’d let Jaime convince her to get dressed up and they’d both gone down to the town square to celebrate the end of the year along with what felt like the entire town of Lannisport. But then Jaime had gone off alone to raid one of the champagne tables so he could switch out their sparkling grape juice for something stronger, and Cersei had taken that as her cue. 

She’d swooped in and put on what could only have been described as an inauthentically kind tone. 

“Brienne! So good to see you! I know Jaime has been talking non-stop about this party for weeks.” Brienne had grimaced at the sound of Jaime’s twin’s voice, but she couldn’t very well ignore her. 

“Hello Cersei, it’s good to see you too, you look nice.” Cersei, it seemed, wasn’t above taking a compliment even if she deemed the complimenter below her, and she had preened. 

“Thank you, darling. That is certainly a daring choice.” Brienne had glanced down at her jumpsuit and tried not to grimace at the veiled insult. She liked this jumpsuit. Cersei wasn’t going to ruin it for her. 

“Well, it was nice to talk to you, I’ll just go see what’s holding Jaime up.” Brienne had turned to go but Cersei wasn’t having that. 

“Oh but that’s why I wanted to speak to you! You see, Jaime’s been telling me all about your little plans for going to Winterfell University.” This time the grimace wasn’t hidden. She’d thought they’d agreed to talk more about his insistence on following her to Winterfell. It was perfect for her major of Medieval Lit, but they didn’t have the best business program. 

“Right. He seems to be very excited.” Cersei raised an eyebrow. 

“Yes. Seems. You see, Jaime has been slated to go to Casterly Rock University since we were born. Our father went there, you know. They have the best business program in the country and it would be such a shame if he gave up on such a successful future to chase something that we can all understand is only pity.”

“I’m sorry?” 

“No, I’m sorry, darling. I hate to be the one to break this to you. But you know the only reason Jaime is friends with you is because he pities you, don’t you? He was forced to be friends with you. You were the new girl, Jaime has his,” she waved her hand “learning thing. Mrs. Stark saw an opportunity and she took it. You didn’t think Jaime actually liked you?” 

Brienne had taken a step back. These were lies. Cersei was known for being cruel. Brienne wanted Jaime to go to Casterly Rock University, even if she'd miss him. It was one of their main arguments. 

“Oh Brienne. This crush you have on my brother is never going to go anywhere. You have to let it go. You’ll see, it will be better for everyone in the end.” 

Cersei breezed past and Brienne was left there feeling rather like she’d been run over by a truck. An eighteen-wheeler. 

That was, of course, the moment Jaime had re-materialized. Had this been planned? But no, surely not, he didn’t look like he was relieved that Brienne’s world had been shaken to its core. He actually asked if she was alright. But the only thing she could think of was the word pity. 

“Brienne? Was that Cersei you were talking to?” 

“Jaime, is it true you’re only friends with me because Mrs. Stark forced you to be?” Jaime looked dumbstruck. Maybe it was all a lie after all. 

“Well, yes, I suppose, technically. But Brienne…” 

She was already walking away. She didn’t want to hear anything else. It was all true. Her worst nightmare was true. Her best friend in the whole world, her secret, or not-so-secret as it turned out, crush was only her friend out of pity. She needed to get out of Lannisport. Yesterday. 

So she’d left. She’d talked to the school counselor on the first day back from Sevenmas break and it turned out that the extra credit class she’d taken over the summer had given her the credits she needed to graduate early. She would just go to WU a semester early. Even if she couldn’t start right away. 

But now she was back and it was just as bad as she’d expected. If not worse. Jaime had moved on, of course he had, maybe it hadn’t even mattered to him in the first place. He had enough friends - kind of. Well he’d had Addam. And she was sure he’d made plenty of friends at CRU. And now he had kids and his own business. There certainly wasn’t room for her in his life. 

Not that she needed there to be. She was perfectly happy in Winterfell. She’d just have to hole herself up in her dad’s house for the rest of the holiday and she’d be able to escape and never look back. 

Maybe she could convince her dad to move to Winterfell. 

____________________________________________

Jaime wasn’t sure how he got back to the middle of town but he did know that he wasn’t even half way through processing the information he’d been given. He’d known she’d spoken to Brienne that night but he’d never known the extent of the damage she’d done. But he could deal with her later. 

Right now he had to find Brienne before she hopped on the next plane to Winterfell. 

Stopping by Selwyn’s wood shop he was relieved to see the older man bent over his wood saw and in the middle of building what looked like a dresser. He certainly didn’t look like he was going to move any time soon. 

His next stop was the Tarth house but that was empty save for Pod the mopey dog that Selwyn had adopted soon after Brienne left. 

He checked the gazebo, and the park, and then he realized that he knew exactly where she’d gone.

The clock tower. 

The one place they’d vowed never to go again. Because he was a wimp as a ten year old. 

But he wasn’t ten anymore. And he’d actually spent many an afternoon at the top of the clock tower since Brienne had left, if only because it was one of the only places in town that didn’t have specific memories of her. 

He raced up the stairs and then stopped at the landing in front of the door to the clock room. He eased the door open and then rapped on the door frame. 

“Brienne?” She was sitting against one of the walls with her legs outstretched and her head tilted back. Though it snapped forward at the sound of his voice.

“I guess it was too much to hope that you were still afraid of heights.” Her lips were twisted in a look that managed to look both wry and wary. 

“Oh no, I’m still afraid of heights. But it turns out that this isn’t quite as high as I thought it was when we were ten.” He gestured toward the opposite wall to where she was sitting. “This wall open?” 

“Of course, I was just leaving.” She went to stand up and he grabbed her hand. 

“Please, Brienne. I haven’t seen you in eight years. Can we please talk?” She settled back onto the floor and he made his way to the aforementioned wall. 

“Shouldn’t you be with your children?” He sighed, this was going to go horribly. But at least it was a place to start. 

“They’re not mine, they’re Cersei’s. You remember Robert Baratheon, right? He was a few years ahead of us in school, his brothers are Stannis and Renly? You were friends with Renly, right? And Loras… I’m rambling. Anyway. He and Cersei got married right after we graduated and now he’s running for mayor. Cersei needs me to watch Tommen and Myrcella more days than not.” He shrugged. He knew they looked like him a bit but certainly not enough for them to be his. 

“Oh.” 

“What about you? Do you have a family back in Winterfell?”

“Um no, definitely not. I’m not any less pitiable there than I was here.” And there it was, the crux of the matter. 

“You weren’t pitiable when you were here, Brienne. I was nine when Mrs. Stark decided we needed to be friends. But the reason I stayed friends with you was because I liked you. Cersei told me what she said to you that night and none of it was true. Gods, Brienne, I was going to kiss you that night. I wanted the champagne so I could get the courage to actually do it. For some reason I’d told Cersei and she must have decided that was a step too far. But gods Brienne I’ve been in love with you since sophomore year when you tried to cheer me up by way of vandalism.” 

Brienne was staring at him with her jaw dropped and her eyes as wide as he’d ever seen them go. 

“You liked me?” 

“I loved you. 18 year old love, sure. But no less real for being young. I probably still love you. We haven’t spoken in eight years but I can’t imagine you’ve changed that much. I know I haven’t.” He stood up and walked over to where she was sitting before kneeling in front of her. But she wasn’t saying anything. She was just staring at him. “Brienne please say something. Curse me, kiss me, call me a liar. But I have to know if you would have kissed me back that night. If there’s any hope of having you back in my life even if you wouldn’t have.” 

“Jaime, if this is true why didn’t you say something?” She put her hand on his cheek as if checking that he was real. 

“You were my best friend, the only one who believed in me. I couldn’t lose you simply because I loved you.” He covered her hand with his. 

”I would have.”

“What?” 

“I would have kissed you back.” She quirked her lips. “Of course I would have. I’ve loved you since you broke your wrist because I broke mine.” 

“We were 11!” 

Brienne shrugged, “it was the nicest thing anyone had ever done for me.” 

Jaime leaned forward, “I’ve been waiting eight years to do this, though if you don’t want me to, say the word, I don’t want to pressure…” 

He didn’t get to finish his sentence, Brienne had grabbed him by the lapel and yanked him down for what still turned out to be an awkward first kiss. 

But it was theirs and it was perfect anyway. 

Nothing was fixed, obviously. But they could work the rest out later. 

For now he just wanted to kiss his best friend at the top of the clock tower.


End file.
